Film is Pot-ter gold for hospital fund

HARRY Potter worked his magic by conjuring up soaraway sales of tickets for a special charity preview of the blockbuster children's film.

Plans for a wizard screening to raise money for Reading Hospitals' League of Friends took off like a witch on a broomstick after the League teamed up with sponsors from the Warner Brothers Movie Store at The Oracle.

Renaissance Hotel manager Paul Davies went back to school with a pair of Harry Potter specs to promote the night while Eve Trower from the Warner Shop cast her own spell under a wicked hat.

Carol Arnold, for the League of Friends, said all 350 tickets sold within days for tomorrow night's

preview, raising a fantastic £1,700 for the charity.

Cinema-goers will each receive a special snack pack with popcorn and drink and a limited edition of Harry Potter collectors cards. Warner Brothers has also donated film merchandise for raffle prizes.

Mrs Arnold said: "We're absolutely delighted with the response. An awful lot of the tickets have gone to hospital people which will make it a bit of a hospital evening and I think there will be as many adults as children."